The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-03-01
The Circus Horse.
From the Pail Mall Gaxette.


People who 60 to the circus and see
horses, elephants, monkeys and the
like perform wonderful tricks must
often ask themselves how the animals
are taught TO do them. A writer In
the Matin, having interviewed several
circus celebrities, undertakes TO satisfy
their curiosity Mr.. Loyal, who has
been ringmaster OF tho leading Paris
aircusfo for 32 years, supplies interesting
information concerning horses. "The
horse" he says, CONTRARY to general
belief, is the most stupid animal on
earth. He has only one faculty.
memory. You must teach him his
exercises with the cavesson and the
long whip. Having forced them into
his head, you must use the short whip
when ne resists, and give him carrot
when he obeys. Whips and carrots
form the secret OF the trainer. The
horse must be from to 7 years old;
before that age he is too spirited
after it his muscles are not elastic
enough.
The first thing to do is to accustom
your horse to the ring. to make him
run round regularly, and then to
stop at given signal. To accomp-
lish this, the animal is brought into
the ring. The trainer holds in his
left hand tether, which is passed in
to the cavessor, u kind OF iron ores.
cent armed with sharp points liked
on tine nose OF tine horse; in his right
hand he holds long whip. Behind
the animal an assistant with n stout,
short whip is posted. The trainer
calls on the horse to start, and, pull
ing his tether and cracking his long
whip, forces him to gallop round. If
he refuses, the assistant uses his whip
also; ii he is obedient, he is rewarded
with u carrot. TO make him stop
short the trainer cracks his long whip
again, while the assistant, with his
short whip, throws himself suddenly
in front OF the animal and the result
is obtained.
Mr.. Loyal tells us that 1.-THE horse
has great objection to kneellng or
lying down at any moment. This feat
is taught by means OF iron bracelets
placed on his ankles and attached to
a tether held by the trainer, who, by
sudden Jerks or pulls rs he is moving.
makes him fall or kneel. The animal
remembers the lessons, and, by dint
of whip and carrot, ultimately per.
| forms them at the mere command oil
the trainer. The horse is taught to
dance to music in The same way with
the foot bracelets"
As regards the learned horse, who
opens boxes and takes articles out oil
them. here is how the animal is train.
ed to do it: Il first get II carrot, y
SAYS Mr.. Loyal. II place 1t in a
box. | then lead the horse to the
box. He smells the carrot, lifts NJ
the lid OF the box with' his nose and
takes out the vegetable, which he is
allowed to eat. The next day, before
letting the horse free, | show him a
handkerchief full of bran. lie takes
it and tries to eat it. | then let him
loose. He runs to the box, but-blt-
ter deception-it is empty. The day
after resume the exercise, but
this time the horse finds the handker-
chief with the bran in the box. lie
takes 1t out and reward him with IA
carrot. | decrease the amount OF bran
in the handkerchief every day, until
in the end put merely the handker.
chief in the box. The horse brings 1t
to me and gets his carrot. | then re-
duce the size OF the carrot every day,
until ut last give him nothing. The
horse continues to perform with the
handkerchief in thehope OF getting the
carrot"